Scent of a Woman

Sometimes the Oscars get it wrong and overlook an artist who has turned in many award worthy pieces of work but only to be overlooked for someone else, deservedly so in some cases and sometimes not in others. This then leads us to when some are awarded almost as an apology because their turn is past due and they may not make something as great again, which some may argue was the reason why Al Pacino's Oscar for best performance in a leading role wasn't for The Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon or Heat but for Scent of a Woman in 1993. I had never seen this film before until just recently where I went in not knowing if this would just be a vehicle for Pacino or if it came with a very good story to complete the package. 

Directed by Martin Brest, who only made a handful of films before seemingly retiring early, the story follows a young prep school student who takes on a part time job to look after a blind veteran for a few days while his daughter and family visit other relatives for Thanksgiving. The job seemed like an easy escape from his highly privileged fellow pupils but the former soldier has made plans of his own.

Running at over 150 minutes, this seemed like an excessively long time for such a simple story about a poor pupil in a rich school trying to make some money but Scent of a Woman proved me wrong as the time flew by in a film which doesn't really waste a single minute. Pacino deservedly won the Oscar for Best Actor in a terrific performance that's larger than life but Chris O'Donnell forms the centre of the story in a challenging role where he must play as the quiet, studious type thrown into the deep end.

And it's a performance that seems largely forgotten today but he does a very good job going toe-to-toe against one of the greats, and they form an entertaining duo which kept me invested through all of the running time I spent sat down watching this. What's more; the film doesn't feel long. The story is filled with interesting characters, many memorable standout scenes, a perfect score by Thomas Newman and a great conclusion where Pacino gets to do his big speech that they probably showed at the Oscars when his name came up.

It's just a shame then that Brest would call it quits in 2003 after a dud film as he delivers a great drama here that perfectly balances the darker moments with touches of levity, without it becoming too schmaltzy, all the while supported by a great cast. Anyone in search of good drama should certainly give Scent of a Woman a go as the 30 years since its release have not aged this in the slightest.